Bexar Property Tax Protests - Reduction from Lawsuits $51 MM / Year
Despite being the hardest part of the property tax protest journey to reach, Bexar County judicial appeals were just as successful as previous steps. 94% of all lawsuits in 2023 were settled in favor of the taxpayer. $2.46 billion in assessed value and $51.68 million were won for the people of Bexar County, rewarding them for the long and hard fight against the Bexar Appraisal District (BCAD). Get your best results in district court when you join the Property Tax Protection Program™ from O’Connor. O’Connor will take care of all the fees for attorneys, witnesses, and experts, while you will only pay if you save on your taxes. With a 97% chance to win, what do you have to lose? Enroll, relax, and save.
How the Judicial Appeals Were ResolvedSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Judicial Appeals | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Number of Judicial Appeals Resolved | 225.00 | 440.00 | 695.00 | 856.00 | 994.00 | 1,079.00 | 1,051.00 | 1,035.00 | 953.00 | 870.00 | 897.00 |
| By Agreed Judgment | 215.00 | 398.00 | 612.00 | 765.00 | 948.00 | 1,032.00 | 1,009.00 | 1,016.00 | 931.00 | 846.00 | 850.00 |
| By Court Judgment or Other | 10.00 | 42.00 | 83.00 | 91.00 | 46.00 | 47.00 | 42.00 | 19.00 | 22.00 | 24.00 | 47.00 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since An annual appeal is an insurance policy to avoid major increases.
Bexar County Judicial Appeal Resolutions
The most expensive properties in Bexar County need to be valued right and taxed at a fair margin. A discerning taxpayer can go through informal appeals, formal hearings, and finally a lawsuit to receive the most accurate outcome. These lawsuits are not for the uninitiated, and you will need experts in the law and property taxes on your side. O’Connor is one of the largest property tax specialist firms and can run your entire judicial appeal process for you. With over 50 years in the business of taking on appraisal districts, O’Connor has all the right knowledge to take your tax protest over the finish line.
BCAD Judicial Appeal Resolution Summary
A taxpayer that has made it all the way to legal action in district court has a solid case and an expert team behind them. In the face of such an onslaught, it is little wonder that the Bexar Appraisal District (BCAD) is not prepared to face such an opponent in court. Used to giving out inflated taxes like a dictator, they cannot stand to be opposed. Instead, BCAD capitulates outside of court in an effort to save face. 94% of judicial appeals ended in settlements for the taxpayer in 2024. Out of 897 appeals, 850 ended in settlements.
Appraised Value (ARB) of Resolved Judicial AppealsSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Appraised Value (ARB) | 0.97 | 14.37 | 16.54 | 22.94 | 28.96 | 25.20 | 29.18 | 35.17 | 29.91 | 24.66 | 30.43 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since To maintain their rights to appeal to or through the judicial appeal process. Owners must exhaust administrative options to pursue binding arbitration or a judicial appeal
Appraised Value (ARB) of Resolved Judicial Appeals
In the rarified air in which judicial appeals dwell, the results of a successful lawsuit can reap a whirlwind of savings in an individual case that would be unheard of elsewhere. Any property that makes it this far is the cream of the crop and represents millions or billions of dollars. While previous property tax protests landed cuts, these lawsuits bring the real value of a property to light. The property involved in lawsuits in 2024 was valued at $30.43 billion, the best result since $35.17 billion in 2021.
Value Reduction from Judicial AppealsSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Billions of $ | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Total Reduction from Judicial Appeals | 0.75 | 1.10 | 1.39 | 2.09 | 2.67 | 2.24 | 2.83 | 2.64 | 2.29 | 1.94 | 2.46 |
| Single Family | 0 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0 |
| Multi-Family | 0.23 | 0.37 | 0.39 | 0.56 | 0.70 | 0.78 | 0.91 | 0.78 | 0.79 | 0.80 | 0.89 |
| Commercial | 0.48 | 0.70 | 0.91 | 1.44 | 1.77 | 1.31 | 1.81 | 1.68 | 1.36 | 1.04 | 1.37 |
| All Other | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.09 | 0.07 | 0.19 | 0.14 | 0.10 | 0.17 | 0.13 | 0.09 | 0.19 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since It is a responsibility of ownership. Large commercial owners generally appeal annually and obtain a reduction. Why should homeowners be excluded?
Bexar County Taxpayer Value Reduction from Judicial Appeals
2024 saw the best properties in Bexar County save $2.46 billion in assessed value. This is not totally the result of 2024 filings, as judicial appeals can take years to make their way to trial or settlement. Rather, it is an amalgamation of results from the previous few years. The amount saved by lawsuits can vary between years and does not follow the rising graph of other appeals constantly. 2022 saw $2.29 billion saved, while 2021 produced $2.64 billion in value reductions. Apartments and commercial real estate made up the vast majority of the taxable value.
Tax Savings From Judicial AppealsSource: Texas Comptroller, compiled by O’Connor, and not affiliated with any appraisal district.
| Millions of $ | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Total Tax Reduction | 15.84 | 23.19 | 29.24 | 43.82 | 56.05 | 47.11 | 59.45 | 55.44 | 48.04 | 40.64 | 51.68 |
| Single Family | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.11 | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.30 | 0.17 | 0.16 | 0.18 | 0.20 | 0.10 |
| Multi-Family | 4.79 | 7.86 | 8.17 | 11.69 | 14.77 | 16.41 | 19.11 | 16.44 | 16.60 | 16.77 | 18.67 |
| Commercial | 10.18 | 14.71 | 19.04 | 30.34 | 37.08 | 27.47 | 38.05 | 35.20 | 28.47 | 21.74 | 28.84 |
| All Other | 0.82 | 0.56 | 1.93 | 1.57 | 3.99 | 2.93 | 2.12 | 3.65 | 2.79 | 1.93 | 4.08 |
Texas property owners should protest annually since The appraisal district uses inaccurate data, factors and an inaccurate model to estimate values. Half are too high and half too low; very few are just right. Even if you are under-valued on market value, you can appeal on unequal appraisal.
BCAD Property Tax Reduction from Judicial Appeals
At the end of the day, appraised values and value reductions are meaningless for a taxpayer if they don’t see actual tax cuts from the process. Thankfully for elite property owners in Bexar County, judicial appeals produced a solid return in 2024. A total of $51.68 million in taxes was cut thanks to judicia appeals. Though this was the highest total since 2022, representing a solid rebound in lawsuit resolutions.
The main reason for the return to form was that there were more commercial properties being contested, hence the overall value went up. Commercial real estate saw $28.84 million in savings, a solid return for the time used. Multi family homes continued their streak in second place, with $18.67 million in tax savings coming back. Single family homes scored $100,000in property tax reductions, across a small sample size.